The Birds Are Singing
by FatalFuryX
Summary: In the absence of light, when darkness envelopes our very souls, we turn to one sense to help push us forward. Hearing.
1. In The Darkness

A/N : The following is an attempt at a new style of writing for me. This story is likely just a one-shot. Please leave your comments and let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or any of it's characters.

In war there are no winners, only pain. The lucky ones die fast.

- Fatal

White.

All I see is white. A terrible overwhelming flash of light burns into my skull and forces me to the ground. I groan in discomfort and force my eyes closed in futility. My ears ring and I can't breath.

It hurts.

Oh how it hurts. I want to scream but it hurts too much to open my mouth.

White.

Why is it so white? I can't see my hands; all I see is white. All I feel is pain. All I hear is this horrific, never ending ringing.

It hurts!

My god how it hurts beyond anything I have felt before! In my eyes. In my head. In every part of my body. All I feel is pain – when felt the soft endless sea of earth just moments before.

Oh Earth! The same earth on which I was born. The same earth on which I grew. The same earth that protects me against this horrible pain. Oh father earth! On whom we have been born! How sorry I am, for causing you pain! How sorry I am for destroying your face! How sorry I am for robbing you of your blood! Please father! Forgive me! Protect me! Make me a bird and let me fly away from this madness, this sin.

The birds are singing.

I no longer hurt. I no longer see white. I no longer hear a thing. I just see the sky above me, and the birds flying, singing to one another without a care in the world. The beautiful clouds make magnificent shapes and the sun shines on my face. But all I see are the birds.

The birds are singing.

I feel myself begin to float upwards. Towards the deep blue. Towards oblivion. Father! You have heard my cry! Thank you! Please take me to the birds! Please let me be free!

The birds are singing.

I am with them. If I just reach out, I know I could touch them. I can't. My arms don't move. Neither do my legs, or my head, or any other body part. All I can do is watch the sky above me, and hear the birds sing.

The Birds Are Singing.

I wake up with a start. I scan my surroundings only to find my world pitch black. Where am I?

"_Help…_"

I whisper but there is no answer. How could there be? There is no life here, in this world of black. This shaking world of black.

Shaking?

Where am I!

"Help! Please…someone! Help me! Where am I?"

Still no reply, but I continue. My voice seems to comfort me. The panic in it calms me. A wonderful thing voice is.

"Shut up!" That single word had so much power, so much venom in it but how good it was to hear.

"God, you woke me up. Ugh damn…" Why is he so angry? In this endless void of darkness the best thing is sound! I yell at the top of my lungs, ignoring the pain in my chest. Sound is a wonderful thing

The Birds Are Singing.

"It's amazing how he managed to survive that blast. How he has so few injuries is beyond me."

I woke into darkness. Are my eyes open? I don't know. Am I still alive? Yes, the pain was a sure sign of that. Where am I? It smells so… clean. Too clean, like a new shoe that has yet to be broken into. I hear a soft beeping beside me. All of that and the distant voices every now and then give me a clue as to my whereabouts.

"Hey, how do you feel?"

I hear her voice. It is friendly and inviting but still cold and distant. All I can do is hear. I can only see darkness. Where is she? I want to see her! I want to see this woman with such a wonderful and kind voice! I hear her turning pages. I hear waves. Waves from an endless ocean full of life and beauty. Full of fish that comfort each other and swim in groups of thousands while birds fly overhead and sing their breathtaking songs over and over. Songs that thank their father Earth for his blood. His life.

The Birds Are Singing.

A phone rings in the distance. I am alone in this black abyss of never ending darkness. Footsteps pass my location and all I do is lay in my coffin. I feel tired.

I feel dead.

A door creaks open the soft padding of shoes on granite resonate throughout the room. They are too soft to be a man's steps. They stop next to me.

"Shinji… can you hear me?"

Who is this 'Shinji'? Who is she talking to. This voice full of fear and sadness. Is she talking to me? No… she can't be… I'm not Shinji.

Or am I?

Who am I?

"Shinji?" I feel her hand on my arm. Such warm, gentle hands. Like a mothers caress. My mother… I don't remember her. My father? No idea. I don't remember anything. Just the blinding white light, and the birds singing their soothing lullaby. She moves her hand. I hear her turning around. She is leaving!

No! Don't leave! Not here! Don't leave me to die alone! Come back! Come Back! COME BACK!

"**COME BACK!"**

The soft padding slows, then speeds up until it is next to me again.

"Shinji! Are you okay?" Yes… I'm Shinji. I will be whatever you want as long as you stay here next to me.

"Yes… just… please don't leave. Stay here with me!" I can't contain myself. I feel warmth on my cheek and know that I am crying. I don't care.

"Of course. I'm here, don't worry. It's okay." I feel so calm now. The darkness is nothing when there is someone next to you. Someone you can trust.

I feel tired. My head is heavy. My world suddenly become bright and full of colors. Blue, white, and yellow - the colors of the sky. I am floating in the air, with the breeze blowing by my face. In the distance I hear a wonderful tune rivaling the beauty of Mozart. Birds fly past me and give me gifts of sound.

The Birds Are Singing.

A/N: Thanks for reading and please leave a review. Flames are fine but constructive criticism is encouraged.

-Fatal


	2. Sister

A/N I decided to continue this story! Yay to my two fans! Thanks for the reviews!

Carpe Diem. _Seize The Day. _You never know what your future holds.

- Fatal

Chapter Two -- Sister

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I stare forward, and face my fears. My unblinking eyes gaze at nothingness as I contemplate my situation. Darkness. I have been imprisoned by the very thought of it. It could be worse. I'm lucky I only had temporary shell shock and quickly regained my memory. Dr. Akagi told me I was lucky to survive. She told me I was fine…

How can I be… in this darkness.

This darkness… I can never get used to it. Since birth, I have always been afraid of being in the dark. With nobody next to me. Alone. I have grown relying on my sight. It was my profession. My life.

How else? How else can I prove to everyone that I am useful; that I am not just another toy than can be thrown away? As Shinji, I have used my sight. As a human, I have used my sight. As marksman number sixty-six zero one division five delta squad, I have used my sight.

I hear the door creak open and patiently wait for my visitor to speak.

"Shinji?"

It's her. My dear sister. Rei. I turn my head in her direction to make her think I see her though I know it is pointless. She has always been very perceptive. Ever since she was adopted at the age of four, she has always seen through my lies. Every last one of them.

"Rei..." I call out to her, wanting her by my side. To pull me out of the shadows and into her arms.

"Brother!" I hear her run towards me and carefully take my hand. "Does it hurt much? Can you bear it? Do you want more medicine?"

She shoots questions at me as though I was under trial but all I can do is smile. A painful, quivering smile.

"S..Sister." My chest is tight and there is a lump in my throat. "I'm fine - now that you're here."

I can't hold my tears any longer as I know she sees them fall off my face. It is not the pain, not at all. Neither is it the darkness. It is the care I feel from her, my sister. The love we share is a sacred one. These tears of happiness show that I am just glad she is by my side.

She wraps her arms around me and pushes my head into her chest. I hear her heart beat. It is soothing… like a song.

The Birds Are Singing

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I'll come back tomorrow." Rei tells me as she closes the door. Once again, I am alone.

I am exhausted.

The emotional strain of not being able to see my own sister is too much. My head gets heavy and I try to forget the pain in my limbs. I just need sleep. Tomorrow… tomorrow I can think of the future, but now I must forget.

"_Shinji? We have a surprise for you!" My mother looks down at me with a genuine smile and I return the favour._

"_Really! What is it!" I am excited. What is this surprise? Is it a race car? Or maybe a plane!_

"_It's in my hand. Open it and you can have it." My father challenges me, and I know I can do such an easy task. I have to show him my strength!_

"_Hah! That's easy!" I reach forward and pull at his fingers with all my might. I look up at my fathers grin and feel my confidence increase tenfold. I shove my other hand in the little opening he allowed me and use it for leverage. My fathers pleased laughing pushes me onwards._

_At last! It is open! I look at my father and stick out my tongue then quickly examine his hand._

_A picture. Of a little girl, no older than me._

"_Dad? That's a silly surprise!" My lopsided smirk shines for all to see._

_I look past my father at my mother and watch her move slightly. From behind her I notice a blue mop with a face sticking out of it. My grin grows even larger as I watch the girl from the picture walk towards me._

"_Shinji, meet your new sister, Rei." My parents watch my lips stretch to an almost impossible point and they laugh._

"_Hi sis! Nice to meet you!" I spread my hands outwards expecting a hug from Rei._

"_Hello." In return she gives me her hand. A simple handshake. I frown; this is no way to greet your brother! I gesture to her once more._

"_Come on sis! Give me a hug!" She stares at me blankly. She blinks._

"_Why?"_

_I hear a shrill whistle grow louder and the room shakes. I watch my parents darken until they are only shadows against the walls. I look to my left and see a black wave speed towards me. The same is on my right. I look forward at my sister again and almost lose my lunch at the sight. Her right arm is missing and blood is spurting from the stump. The bones in her legs show through massive punctures in her flesh. Her intestines pour out of a hole in her chest and her face is burned to a crisp. But through all this her eyes glare into me. Burning holes in my mind. Pure white in extreme contrast to the red blood blanketing her body._

_The roof caves in and I can only scream. My soft body crumbles effortlessly under the weight. Through a slight crack in the rubble on top of me I observe giant eyes glaring at me. Emotionless and uncaring. They blink. As they open a sea of red pours from them towards me and pounds at my already damaged body._

I wake up screaming. On the windowsill, a mockingbird flutters away…

The Birds Are Singing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N Ahhhhhhh yes. That was fun. Please leave your comments on the way out!


End file.
